Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Well if you haven’t changed jobs in a while, be prepared to interview with at least 7-10 people over several days. I just finished my final round and the interview process took 10 hours total. Add prep time and it’s a week.

Times have changed.

They tell it what they need, it pops out the code, ...

The output of AI can't be copyrighted. Also, just imagine the quality of code from an AI trained on Cisco's code bases.

Just to give an idea on how it goes and these are just made up numbers. US Coder $125k, BRIC Coder $60k, Coders with no degree as contract work $75k and no benefits. You have to look at the reality. Being a software engineering or whatever in the US is a difficult job. You have some high level people that are good with AI. They tell it what they need, it pops out the code, sends it to quality assurance suite that runs automatically, and publish the code. There is a CS professor that did just that. The students had an assignment, after they spent weeks doing it, she asked ChatGPT for it, went to the testing suite, output the code, and done. It was less than 5 minutes. Basically telling a class of about 100 students that spent 3 weeks on a project how quickly it is done without them. There are videos on YT and how this is being done.

Confusing posting. You should have asked ChatGPT to write it up for you :P

Just to give an idea on how it goes and these are just made up numbers. US Coder $125k, BRIC Coder $60k, Coders with no degree as contract work $75k and no benefits. You have to look at the reality. Being a software engineering or whatever in the US is a difficult job. You have some high level people that are good with AI. They tell it what they need, it pops out the code, sends it to quality assurance suite that runs automatically, and publish the code. There is a CS professor that did just that. The students had an assignment, after they spent weeks doing it, she asked ChatGPT for it, went to the testing suite, output the code, and done. It was less than 5 minutes. Basically telling a class of about 100 students that spent 3 weeks on a project how quickly it is done without them. There are videos on YT and how this is being done.

Other industries and skillsets are going to emerge in the coming years — and it won’t be “coder”.

"Coders" are junior high school kids spoon fed tiny problems. There might be a minimum wage path for a few people at tiny companies that need the occasional Excel macro but everyone who wants a sizeable paycheck needs far more skills to generate enough revenue to justify those paychecks.

Common problems I see from the side of a hiring manager:

• Unless I have a task which requires major specialized math and science skills the degree means nothing, and even for those with a high level degree they need to be able to translate abstract ideas into working solutions which a degree definitely does not guarantee.
• Too many believe they know all that can be known and they never need learn anything again. Sadly when they thought they were learning things they didn't and generally create far more damage than value.
• Too many don't fully know even one language and one OS (or browser or bare iron platform.) It makes the development far less productive and prevents you from choosing a potentially better mix of technologies.
• Too many are spoon fed small tasks. I want someone who can grab a project with a team of engineers and lead it to completion, and over time work on series of projects forming a larger program where people eat their own dog food. Candidates that never suffer their own mistakes are often problem children.
• Too many don't have experience interacting with customers to understand the customer's business. The same goes for interactions with dispersed teams to accomplish goals far beyond the reach of any one team. Soft skills people.
• Too few have worked requirements and design in a fixed price environment where you have to get things right or you're out of business. Hidden in this is a boatload of skills you need to spend your entire career refining that most won't.
• Too many get too comfortable just noodling around with one thing and don't grow when the rest of the world around them does.

There are rare kids just out of school who perform well on all of these. They're often not geniuses but they are always driven by passion and have real discipline. There are a lot of people with "decades of experience" who fail miserably on all of these, including many from "top" tech companies. They might have started with eagerness but never had the passion or discipline to grow effectively.

Too few reflect on any of these issues which means they can't explain the what, how and why of how they do a job well (note I didn't use the word "right") the first time. The flip side is you need to interview the heck out of each company. If they can't answer the same what, how, and why they deliver functionality and quality on time and on budget you may be entering a life of death marches where the skills you have quickly atrophy.

Now if we can get rid of that ^&$% HR resume filter - it hurts everyone.

And universities worldwide continue to crank out CS people at ever increasing rates because young folks believed that is the way to money, power, and a lasting career. That will increasingly collide with AI — its going to get worse, not better. Other industries and skillsets are going to emerge in the coming years — and it won’t be “coder”.

yhj+1rDYG6IF Here

Seeing a PhD for a development job was once in a year affair. Now it’s once in a week.
Most software engineering resumes now have one master, many with two and some with one master and MBA or something similar.
Your competitor is not the individual you faced a few years ago.

The competition is fierce.
Preparation and bringing your A game to interviews will help but it’s a mistake to think overseas competition is just cheap.
In every case I have hired for in the last six months, the overseas folks had more credentials than the local replacement. Only 3/10 were foreign (1 each from Australia, India and Japan) for 24/7 coverage but I found them more qualified than their American peers.
Note that most local resumes are also more qualified than the current employees too. I just have a larger pool now.
My only tip is don’t underestimate the competition and be 110% prepared for your interview.

You can't compete with cheap sweatshops overseas. Now AI is also taking a bite.

1000 people are applying for 1 job. People are slowly realizing that working at a fast food place doesn't help to pay the rent.

Straight talk:
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/15/laid-off-techies-struggle-to-find-jobs-with-cuts-at-highest-since-2001.html

You are too expensive and no have to fight amongst yourselves in a no holds cage death match called interviewing. Enjoy the next 4 more years.